Ultimate Fuel Cells

What Are Fuel Cells?

Efficient electrical power generation from
hydrogen fuel and oxygen from air

Clean operation with only water and heat
by-products

Separate power and energy components; can
add fuel canisters for hours or days of additional
runtime.

Fuel cells are power generation
devices that operate on hydrogen and oxygen
to provide clean, efficient electrical power
with only water and heat as byproducts. Fuel
cells can provide power for a variety of applications
including portable, stationary, and transportation.
Unlike battery systems, fuel cell systems have
separate energy storage and power generation
components, making them well-suited for backup
power applications. With fuel cells, the runtime
can be extended for many hours or days by adding
inexpensive hydrogen cylinders rather than investing
in extensive battery banks. Fuel cell backup
power system products are available and have
recently been used in hurricane and blackout
conditions to provide critical power. However,
further advances are needed in cost, durability,
and reliability to achieve widespread introduction
into the backup power market. The metal hydride
fuel cell (MHFC) offers a practical, low cost
approach for fuel cell backup power systems.

Fuel Cells for Back Up Power

Increasing demand for extended runtime backup
power

Metal hydride fuel cells have been demonstrated
up to 1500 W and higher power stacks are
under development

Metal Hydride Fuel Cells: Features & Benefits

Suitable
for operations to -40 °C
Long Life Potential
Robustness & Durability
Stores & Releases Energy like a
Battery
Capabilities for power bridging & transients

Metal hydride fuel cell (MHFC)
technology has been scaled up and demonstrated
in stacks and systems ranging up to 5.0 kW.
This enables fuel
cell stack building blocks in the range of 1-10
kW for military, industrial and other backup power generation requirements.

Simultaneously, a specific power capability
of 200 W/kg has now been achieved - more than
double the specific power previously reported
for ambient temperature fuel cells without platinum
catalysts. This 200 W/kg specific power rivals
that of PEM (proton exchange membrane) stacks
now being demonstrated in backup power applications. Furthermore, ETI's technology has key advantages in performance and cost.

The fundamental materials durability of the
MHFC technology has been demonstrated by the
operation of several multicell stacks for 8,000
hours. Unique charge storage characteristics
of the metal hydride active material provide
for special features including instant start,
fuel hot-swap capabilities, good low temperature
performance, and inherent bridging and transient
handling capabilities. The MHFC is comprised
of low cost components, including non-platinum
catalysts, carbon powders, nickel meshes, plastic
binders, and plastic stack components.

Fabrication and manufacturing of the MHFC involves
conventional processing equipment similar to
that used commercially in the battery industry.
MHFC technology offers an excellent opportunity
for fuel cell stacks that overcome the serious
cost issues facing the fuel cell industry.

Instant Start Capability

Instant start performance

Capabilities to operate without hydrogen
fuel providing: Fuel hot-swap capabilities
and continued operation even with fuel supply
interruptions for short time frames.